Not The Home Improvement Store: The Unexpected Place You Can Find Vintage Materials

Looking for some vintage charm? From lighting to doors, brick pavers to kitchen appliances, salvaged building supply warehouses carry anything you can imagine being removed from a demolition project. Less upscale than their trendy cousins, architectural reclamation salvage stores full of vintage treasures, demolition warehouses can be cornucopias of goodies for anyone with a building project. 

Unlike your standard home improvement store, where everything is new, the hodgepodge of used building materials at a salvage store may not offer exactly what you need on any given day, but persistence and patience will pay off. The vintage materials you need may show up tomorrow or the next day.

Technically, when you're reusing building materials, you're reclaiming them to reuse for their original purpose, not recycling them, a process that breaks down the original so it can be transformed into another usable product. You can save 30% to 70% on purchase costs by using reclaimed materials, even if they need some refurbishing. Finding an entire kitchen, including countertops and used cabinets, that's been carefully removed from a home that's undergone a renovation is a cost-saving, environmentally friendly boon. Using vintage materials is cost-effective and sustainable, but it's also a good way to make a contribution to your community if you have a nonprofit salvage warehouse in your town. When you buy or donate something, your dollars support the nonprofit's local mission.

When shopping, expect some variation in the inventory focus at salvaged building supply warehouses; they don't all follow the same model. Some only sell used materials, while others might have a mix of used and new. Nonprofits, in particular, accept donations of new items, like boxes of tiles, flooring, and unopened paint. If you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore nearby, you might be familiar with the combination of building materials they offer. Many ReStore locations also sell things you might find in a thrift store, like furniture and artwork. 

Salvage warehouse stores with a tighter focus on recycled building materials you can use for your next renovation will have everything from screws and nails to vintage windows and doors. Companies with a slightly different model, like Unbuilt, act as an exchange between builders with leftover materials and consumers. They don't have warehouses open to the public. Instead, they match buyers who need something with builders who have it but can't use it.

For some, though, the joy of shopping at a demolition warehouse is the chance to find a one-of-a-kind piece of architectural detail that becomes a unique feature of their home. A simple upgrade, like replacing a plain builder-grade door with a solid wood door with intricate carving, adds warmth, personality, and a connection to history to a room. If you're a fan of the reclaimed wood design trend, a demolition warehouse might mean one-stop shopping.